Networking and communication

Vodafone Spain modernises customer relationship management platform with Amdocs

Modernisation programme aims to enable Vodafone Spain to reduce the total cost of ownership and improve operational efficiency, automation and performance of its CRM system Continue Reading

Cloud misconfiguration a growing cause of security incidents

Rapid cloud adoption during the pandemic has increased the attack surface and heightened the risk of misconfiguring services, leaving organisations more vulnerable to cyber attacks Continue Reading

Network observability vs. monitoring: What's the difference?

Traditional network monitoring is useful for collecting data about network issues. But network observability can add further insights into network health and end-user experience. Continue Reading

Nokia, Taiwan Mobile claim first 5G carrier aggregation call in standalone architecture

Trial declared successful in aggregating spectrum in the 700MHz and 3500MHz bands for the first time to deliver enhanced connectivity and increased coverage and support Taiwanese operator’s vision to deliver 5G services. Continue Reading

Openreach announces 86 new copper network switch-off locations

BT-owned UK broadband provision firm accelerates its plan to stop selling copper-based broadband and traditional voice services across the UK by 2025 Continue Reading

A million UK households reach to the skies for broadband

Satellite broadband is showing signs of beginning to take off in the UK, with further gains expected as Starlink arrives and BT teams with OneWeb Continue Reading

Gigabit broadband funding targets over two million homes and businesses

Digital infrastructure upgrades planned for rural and hard-to-reach areas to support post-pandemic economic growth and improve home connectivity Continue Reading

Hospitality firms must accelerate digital transformation to secure long-term recovery

Key retail sector must respond quickly to new post-pandemic digital-first demands and consumer behaviours to regain competitive edge, says study Continue Reading

IDC: Double-digit global smartphone growth in second quarter

Analyst finds global consumers around the world continue to show the need for mobile devices, and a particular increasing willingness to buy 5G devices as price points go down Continue Reading

Community Fibre hits milestone of 300,000 homes passed

Community-focused altnet adds 100,000 London homes passed in six months to drive the growing reach of its full-fibre network Continue Reading

Fibre to the fore as OECD countries add 21 million fixed broadband connections

The future is arriving fast in the broadband industry in developed nations, as OECD research finds fibre deployment is gaining traction at the expense of traditional copper-wire connections in a post-Covid environment Continue Reading

Virgin Media O2 unveils UK fibre upgrade plan

Newly merged operator announces FTTP upgrade of fixed network starting this year with completion in 2028, taking advantage of what it says is efficient fibre deployment with ‘value accretive roll-out economics’ Continue Reading

Accelerating UK full-fibre sees altnet association register record membership growth

Independent Networks Cooperative Association enjoys membership boom as altnets build momentum in UK and take on comms big guns in dash for fibre to the home and premises Continue Reading

Profits, revenues fall but BT expands 5G, fibre in first quarter

UK incumbent telco sees profits and revenues fall, but increases capital investments in next-generation wireless and extends Microsoft strategic partnership Continue Reading

Investigatory Powers Tribunal finds UK spy agencies unlawfully collected personal data

Campaign groups Privacy International and Liberty are gearing up to bring further legal action after a court found that UK spy agencies unlawfully collected phone and internet records Continue Reading

Verizon, Samsung complete fully virtualised C-band 5G data session

Tech giant and US operator announce C-band trial that they say paves the way for a more programmable, efficient and scalable 5G network Continue Reading

5G adoption ‘purposely delayed’ by European network strategy decision-makers

Aiming to gain a deeper understanding of user perspectives on 5G, including adoption plans and implementation obstacles, research from IoT and wireless solutions provider claims to have found alarming lack of purpose to explore next-gen networks Continue Reading

Apple posts all-time high for Q3 revenues

Global tech giant continues storming the consumer electronics industry, reporting record revenues for its June quarter featuring double-digit growth in each of its product categories and significant improvements in its services segment Continue Reading

5G offers potential £6.3bn boost to UK manufacturing by 2030

In addition to outlining the potential of adding multi billions to the value of the UK manufacturing industry by the end of the decade, the UK operator recommends support for manufacturers to invest in 5G mobile private networks, and the creation of 5G test and innovation centres Continue Reading

5G roamers to surpass 200 million by 2026

With travel restrictions around the world being slowly phased out, analyst predicts 4,500% growth in 5G roaming subscribers over the next five years Continue Reading

Some 15 million UK consumers suffered major broadband outage in past year

Study covering first full year of lockdown reveals how millions of home-workers and home-schoolers experienced internet outages when they would usually have been at their workplaces or in school Continue Reading

Content providers and Covid drive US, Canada bandwidth boom

Globally, total international bandwidth more than quadrupled between 2016 and 2020 to exceed 2Pbps, report shows Continue Reading

Virgin Media O2 goes with Ericsson for 5G standalone core

Leading 5G infrastructure technology provider selected by newly merged UK operator to deploy its cloud-native, container-based, dual-mode 5G standalone core to pave the way to deliver connectivity to enable what are claimed to be the ‘most advanced’ enterprise applications and services Continue Reading

Three UK calls for policy reform to supercharge rural gigabit broadband

Operator says 5G-based wireless internet could deliver gigabit broadband access to rural areas more quickly and cheaply than with standard fixed-line technology Continue Reading

Qualcomm claims world first for 5G mmWave data connection

Showcasing what it believes will be features required in anticipated 5G mmWave roll-outs in China, mobile comms tech provider unveils mmWave capabilities for global expansion with support for 200MHz carrier bandwidth Continue Reading

BGP vs. OSPF: When to use each protocol

BGP and OSPF are two of the most common routing protocols. While BGP excels with dynamic routing for large networks, OSPF offers more efficient path choice and convergence speed. Continue Reading

Plume surpasses a billion connected devices on software-defined network

Research from SaaS experience platform provider finds consumers have accelerated investment in smart home devices during the pandemic Continue Reading

Vodafone widens reach with UK narrowband IoT coverage

UK mobile network operator announces NB-IoT infrastructure expansion to support ongoing investments in platforms and services that will support the growing number of businesses implementing such technology to increase operational efficiency and grow new revenues Continue Reading

Connectivity bottlenecks put $182bn in SME digital transformations at risk

Research finds ‘alarming’ gap between the approaches small businesses are taking in their post-pandemic digital transformations Continue Reading

Dynamic UK mobile landscape continues to evolve and improve

BT-owned network, EE, comes to the fore as competition drives 5G roll-outs, and leading operators show marked performance improvements across first half of 2021 Continue Reading

Satellite and 5G firms announce ubiquitous UK communications trial

Space agencies and leading technology businesses test ubiquitous UK communications coverage for transportation market in region of south-west England notorious for poor communications Continue Reading

Five ways to ensure remote working security and compliance

A mix of on-site and remote working has become a fact of life for many organisations. We look at five key things you should consider to ensure compliance and security Continue Reading

Ericsson, MediaTek claim 5G mmWave milestone

Swedish comms tech giant and Taiwanese fabless semiconductor company team up to double current millimetre wave uplink speed ceiling to almost 500Mbps Continue Reading

Nokia and Xantaro eye up UK broadband altnet full-fibre opportunity

Leading comms equipment provider teams with channel partner and service integrator to fuel the UK altnet boom which has seen independent firms connecting more than two million homes with full-fibre gigabit connectivity Continue Reading

How IoT and machine learning are automating agriculture

A new generation of farmers is tapping the internet of things and machine learning to operate self-sustaining urban farms with minimal supervision Continue Reading

Sparsely staffed offices: the new post-pandemic cyber gap

With many offices still operating at limited capacity, a red teaming expert reveals how his job is getting easier, and why this is a problem Continue Reading

Ripe for change – mixing digital innovation with traditional winemaking

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how global winemaker Concha y Toro uses the latest tech to enhance 150-year old traditional processes. Pharma giant GSK explains how an API strategy is changing its business model. And we talk to retailers using video technology to bridge the gap between in-store and online selling. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Zoom expands into contact centre market

Zoom is steadily expanding its enterprise offering and has now spent $14.5bn on an acquisition to fill a gap in its product portfolio Continue Reading

Openreach and Nokia test 25G PON full-fibre

Trials of next-generation full-fibre broadband will be based on passive optical network technology Continue Reading

Levelling up Digital Skills and Jobs in the Post-Lockdown Economy

The two most urgent recommendations (with added detail) are to prevent IR35 abuse and fraud (against independent contractors more than by them) and the planned Home Office reversion to paper based ... Continue Reading

Legacy SonicWall kit exploited in ransom campaign

Users of older versions of SonicWall Secure Mobile Access 100 and Secure Remote Access products are at risk from a new ransomware campaign Continue Reading

Ericsson lands landmark Verizon 5G deal as it reports strong Q2

Just as it was announcing a robust end to its first half, global comms tech provider reveals massive contract with US communications giant to deliver 5G solutions Continue Reading

Smart Buildings and IoT: Supporting a safe return to the office

Quocirca’s Smart Buildings and IoT Study analyses how IoT-enabled smart buildings are presenting new opportunities for managed service providers (MSPs) in the post-pandemic workplace.  As more ... Continue Reading

Virgin Media outage: Electrical explosion takes down network in south-east London

Underground electrical network explosion causes ‘significant collateral damage’ to cabling infrastructure, with users in south-east London told to brace themselves for ‘at least’ 24 hours of disruption Continue Reading

Putting Your Sassy Money Where Your Nous Is

I’ve been making a bit of noise in this bloggy column of mine now about sassy SASE for some time, but it seems I’m not the only one (other than Gartner wot coined the concept). The world of ... Continue Reading

ODA reaches milestone as TM Forum calls on telcos to grab cloud opportunity

Industry association set up for driving digital transformation through collaboration calls on comms providers to take advantage of industry-defining cloud native standards Continue Reading

3G net to be retired in 2023 as BT promises 5G across entire UK by 2028

UK’s incumbent telco unveils new mobile and convergence ambitions with almost universal next-generation wireless over next seven years Continue Reading

Mastercard, Verizon Business team to bring 5G to global payments industry

Global payments company harnesses comms provider’s 5G network to innovate in payments and commerce sector, delivering solutions to support immersive retail technology and point-of-sale Continue Reading

O2 Business improves in-store customer experiences with advanced connectivity-based AI technology

Technology uses artificial intelligence and video analytics to help retail businesses improve the in-store experience, with processes boosted by 5G Continue Reading

Vodafone Spain deploys Ericsson 5G Core Standalone for pre-commercial operation

Spanish subsidiary of Vodafone follows UK and German counterparts in selecting Ericsson for core standalone solution to unlock the full potential of next-generation networks Continue Reading

More women in South Asia using mobile internet

A GSMA study found that the gender gap is closing for mobile internet usage in South Asia, along with higher smartphone ownership fuelled by the falling cost of handsets and data Continue Reading

BMW launches quantum challenge for automotive sector

Car maker is encouraging researchers and startups to submit industry-specific algorithms that take advantage of quantum computing Continue Reading

Buoyant Nokia expects to raise 2021 guidance

Comms tech provider says positive news likely in forthcoming Q2 results and despite some headwinds in the second half, it has good foundation for the full year Continue Reading

SNCF on track for industrial 5G in France

French train operator and technical partners unveil 5G Living Lab devoted to industrial practices, designed to extend 5G tests in local station and support modernisation of the group’s industrial entities Continue Reading

The differences between PAP and CHAP

PAP uses a two-way handshake to authenticate client sessions, while CHAP uses a three-way handshake. Both authentication processes are common, but one is more secure. Continue Reading

GSMA calls for 2GHz of mid-band spectrum to meet UN targets

Starting from the position that meeting mid-band spectrum needs is vital to the future of 5G and requires forward-planning from policy-makers, mobile industry trade association warns that without additional spectrum, it will be impossible to realise the full potential of 5G in some cases Continue Reading

KUKA taps Nokia to facilitate industrial 5G SA private wireless network

German industrial robot manufacturer turns to comms technology provider for 5G private wireless for reliable connectivity in the development of intelligent automation Continue Reading

Liverpool 5G Create, Blu Wireless develop industry-boosting IP

5G mmWave networking equipment provider teams with Liverpool-based part of 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme to develop new multi-sector intellectual property Continue Reading

CMA consults on market investigation into emergency services’ mobile radio network

Competition watchdog considers whether to launch market investigation into role played by Motorola’s mobile radio network used by all emergency services in UK Continue Reading

Enterprise 5G, cloud and IoT disrupting the comms service provider market

Research predicts major uptick in enterprise IT spending, spurred by edge, 5G and private network investments, representing significant opportunity for communications service providers in 2022 and beyond Continue Reading

IoT at tipping point but multi-region connectivity, device deployment hinder UK adoption

Research from connectivity specialist finds three-quarters of UK respondents say their internet-of-things project is at best only somewhat successful in meeting expectations and realising benefits, but 91% still plan increased investment Continue Reading

Ransomware and botnets among top cyber threats in Singapore

The city-state saw more ransomware threats and command-and-control servers hosted out of its highly connected network infrastructure last year, as threat actors capitalised on the pandemic Continue Reading

Enterprise private LTE, 5G networks projected to realise more than $7bn in annual spend by 2026

Study finds mission-critical use cases in manufacturing and energy/utilities driving demand for dedicated comms networks, but ecosystem remains challenging Continue Reading

Vodafone creating indoor OpenRAN solution for business customers

UK operator Vodafone continues its momentum in developing OpenRAN solutions by partnering with Mavenir to create an indoor small cell solution for business customers Continue Reading

Virgin Media O2 unveils ‘significant’ 4G and 5G boost

Ahead of the summer holidays, newly merged communications company announces what it says is a significant 4G and 5G boost to holiday hotspots Continue Reading

Our Survey Says...

The whole WFH/ WFA (Work From Home/Anywhere) initiative that was somewhat enforced on the world’s working population as a result of the “P” word, has largely been well received, but a new survey ... Continue Reading

CSP share of enterprise 5G deals falls 5% in 2021

Study shows that while the number of enterprise 5G projects doubled over the past year, competition from alternative service providers has significantly impacted CSPs’ share of the market Continue Reading

CityFibre embarks on gigabit broadband roll-out in Sussex

Rapidly growing infrastructure provider spreads full-fibre connectivity in county’s key inland and coastal areas Continue Reading

CW Middle East: Pandemic speeds up edtech revolution in Gulf

One of the lessons the Covid-19 pandemic has taught governments across the world is that education providers can still teach when their premises are inaccessible. Read how organisations in the Gulf region’s education sector have been quick to adopt the latest education technology, known as edtech, to help in this endeavour. Also read in this issue how Indian IT services company TCS is bringing together universities, businesses, tech startups and government to work on sustainability challenges. Continue Reading

What's the difference between a MAC address and IP address?

A MAC address and an IP address each identify network devices, but they do the job at different levels. Explore the differences between the two and learn why both are necessary. Continue Reading

Social robots on the rise in the Netherlands

The acceptance of robots being used in everyday life is making significant strides, but this is just the beginning Continue Reading

Hybrid working model significantly affects helpdesk and support

SASE provider’s survey finds that the IT challenge with deployed remote access technology is failing to meet enterprise requirements, forcing support and helpdesk to compensate Continue Reading

UK 5G availability and speeds progressing at steady clip

Analyst’s latest monthly snapshot of next-generation mobile network development shows steady progress of 5G in Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle Continue Reading

Remote workers feel disconnected from company IT departments

As hybrid working becomes the norm, study advises that now is the time to invest in more robust technology to support remote workforces for the long term, and to fend off lingering feeling of resentment over lack of support Continue Reading

Google Cloud ties up with AI Singapore on skills training

Google Cloud is working with Singapore’s national AI programme to build up the country’s talent pool in machine learning and AI Continue Reading

Colt enhances IBM partnership to gain 5G edge

Connectivity solutions provider joins IBM’s partner ecosystem to collaborate on 5G and edge technology for enterprise customers, simplifying distributed infrastructure operations Continue Reading

Pharrowtech claims first viable fibre alternative with wireless

Launch of 60GHz high-speed board designed to allow manufacturers and service providers to test broadband capabilities and support high-speed internet roll-out Continue Reading

Static vs. dynamic routing: What is the difference?

Static routing uses preconfigured routes to send traffic to its destination, while dynamic routing uses algorithms to determine the best path. How else do the two methods differ? Continue Reading

OneWeb confirms successful launch and contact with 36 new satellites

Controversial satellite operator OneWeb completes its ‘Five to 50’ mission to cover regions north of 50 degrees latitude, including UK, Canada, Alaska and Arctic region Continue Reading

TPG Telecom taps Nokia to launch world’s first live 5G standalone 700MHz service

Leading Australian telco unveils low-band 5G standalone service to cover wide outdoor areas, as well as deep indoor urban environments using Nokia’s triple-band remote radio unit Continue Reading

Toughening up web and mobile apps

We look at how organisations can secure internal and web-facing applications against ransomware and injection-style attacks Continue Reading

Quarter of UK financial services staff want to continue working from home

Working from home looks set to stay in the finance sector after Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, as staff express their preferences for remote working Continue Reading

Going back to office networks, only to dismantle them once and for all

With Covid-19 restrictions easing, offices are welcoming back remote workers this summer, bringing with them their notebooks and mobiles, and creating an endpoint management headache for CISOs. What do security teams need to account for to protect their returning office workers? Continue Reading

Port of Ipswich trials IoT system to digitise operations

BT and ABP deploy intelligent asset platform across East Anglian maritime commercial hub to help its voyage towards smart port status Continue Reading

UnaBiz makes foray into Japan

The Singapore-based IoT technology provider has opened an office in Tokyo to tap the groundswell of IoT deployments in utilities and other sectors Continue Reading

Toughening up web and mobile apps

We look at how organisations can secure internal and web-facing applications against ransomware and injection-style attacks Continue Reading

Aurrigo gets into autonomous gear through Vodafone, AWS partnership

Autonomous vehicle specialist becomes one of the first UK companies to benefit from a new technology partnership between UK comms operator and leading cloud provider Continue Reading

Ascendas India Trust to build datacentre near Mumbai

New datacentre campus near Mumbai will deliver 90MW of power to host technology and cloud suppliers as well as large Indian companies in a fast-growing market Continue Reading

Berlin court finds EncroChat intercept evidence cannot be used in criminal trials

In a major setback for police hacking operations, Berlin’s regional court has decided that intercepted data from the EncroChat phone network should not be used in criminal prosecutions Continue Reading

Qualcomm, Capgemini collaborate to boost 5G private network implementations for industries

Partnership between 5G comms tech provider and leading business management firm looks to improve interoperability, provide proven performance and ease deployment for clients looking to unlock benefits of 5G private networks Continue Reading

UK government launches 5G network building competition

Latest part of UK government’s 5G diversification strategy sees launch of competition to put UK at the cutting edge of developing tech for 5G mobile networks Continue Reading

Lightspeed taps Nokia to bring 10Gbps broadband to East of England

Strengthening its market position as it expands across the East of England, Lincolnshire-based broadband provider Lightspeed makes strategic investment in gigabit technology to support the roll-out of full-fibre multi-gigabit network Continue Reading

Clouds Seemingly Don’t Get In The Way Of Satellites

Had a fascinating chat the other day with a company I really should have spoken to decades ago, but such is life. SES is probably a company wot you think you don’t know, but – for example – anyone ... Continue Reading

Ericsson, Huawei claim 5G core tech lead with Mavenir, Affirmed Networks leading challengers

Research reveals 5G core dominance is contingent on supplier positioning and strategy, but also that hungry pure-play software suppliers were already offering disruptive innovation and agility Continue Reading

AT&T to move 5G mobile network to Microsoft Azure

Leading US operator to run its mobility network on leading cloud platform as it aims to deliver cost-efficient 5G services at scale, while network cloud technology will be deployed to gain competitive advantage through streamlined operations and service differentiation Continue Reading

Ericsson, Deutsche Telekom, Samsung claim world first in 5G network slicing trial

Global operator joins leading tech firms in test showcasing the benefits of 5G end-to-end network slicing optimised for cloud virtual reality game streaming, while also allowing service providers to offer customer-focused service assurance Continue Reading

Openreach warns UK firms to check comms CPE ahead of analogue switch-off

Ahead of current analogue phone network reaching the end of its life by December 2025, UK broadband provider advises firms to start checking digital compatibility of CPE such as alarm services, lifts, payment card readers and medical equipment Continue Reading

IT As Marriage Guidance Counsellor...

In my last blog, I spoke about the need to get immediate access to network behaviour patterns, in order to detect anomalies. An extension of that need is the ability to make instant use of that ... Continue Reading

Orange unveils Europe’s first 5G SA fully end-to-end experimental cloud network

Global operator to launch region’s first standalone fully end-to-end cloud network from devices to IS in a cloud-native mode Continue Reading

Incoherent technology investment saps motivation at mid-size businesses

Research suggests that mid-size businesses are falling into the trap of investing in technology for technology’s sake, rather than identifying what the business actually needs, with stress especially acute supporting remote working Continue Reading